<\/p>\n
Even Daniele De Rossi, one of the hardest men in football, was reduced to tears as AS Roma talisman Francesco Totti brought down the curtain on a remarkable 25 years at his only professional club on Sunday.<\/p>\n
A capacity crowd stayed behind for more than an hour after the end of the win over Genoa to bid farewell to a hugely gifted player who, many believed, could have won much more had he moved elsewhere but remained loyal to Roma throughout.<\/p>\n
Totti, 40, came on in the 54th minute of the Serie A match and helped his team to a 3-2 win which guaranteed a second-place finish and an automatic place in the Champions League group stage next season.<\/p>\n
After that, it was time for the goodbyes.<\/p>\n
His teammates lined up to congratulate him before he addressed the stadium.<\/p>\n
“I wanted to write a poem or a song but I’m not capable of that,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s finally over. The moment which I hoped would never arrive is here. I’m taking off the shirt for the last time, although I’m not ready to do it, and maybe never will be.<\/p>\n
“It’s not easy to turn out the light. In fact, I’m afraid — it’s not like taking a penalty”, he said, at which point almost everyone in the stadium appeared to be in tears.<\/p>\n
Totti made his debut as a 16-year-old in a 2-0 win against Brescia in 1993 and played under 16 different coaches during his 25 seasons at the club in the city where he was born.<\/p>\n
In all he made 786 appearances, scoring 307 goals including 250 in Serie A — the second-highest total by a single player after Silvio Piola between 1929 and 1954.<\/p>\n
A World Cup winner with Italy in 2006 when he played in all seven games, his trophy haul with Roma was surprisingly modest — a single Serie A title in 2001 and two winners’ medals from the largely unloved Coppa Italia.<\/p>\n
Totti said earlier this year that he was nearly lured to Real Madrid by the prospect of playing with Brazilian forward Ronaldo but resisted the temptation.<\/p>\n
Even so, he hinted in his statement on Thursday that he could still continue playing elsewhere.<\/p>\n
De Rossi, who himself has been at the club since 2001, was among those who could not hide their emotions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are people who are not normal. There are careers that are not normal. I saw a banner that said the real battle against modern football is to wear the same jersey for 25 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
“After 16 years, I will go into the dressing-room and he won’t be sitting in the same place. That won’t be easy.”<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n